In a dimly lit room, the oppressive atmosphere seed to consu the faint light that managed to filter in. The walls, made of cold, grey stone, towered on all sides, their surfaces slick with moisture seeping from the very foundation of the structure. The air was thick with the stench of decay and rot, a foul sll that clung to every surface like a damp shroud.
At the center of the room, a solitary candle flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls, creating the illusion that the darkness itself was alive and moving around a boy who was bound to a chair. The fla danced and sputtered, casting a weak, golden light over the room, but it was a feeble glow amidst the overwhelming darkness.
Different types of dangerous tools as well as broken glasses were scattered on the floor.
Two strong n stood in front of the unconscious boy who was tied to the chair.
Splash*
A bucket of water was suddenly poured over the boy with blonde hair, causing his eyes to open wide as he struggled to catch his breath.
Lucas’s mind seed to have montarily shut down, but soon he was able to recollect the events of the past few minutes. He rembered driving his pilot jeep on the express road when suddenly a car parked in front of him, blocking his path. Two burly n erged from the car, and before he knew it, a black sack was thrown over his head and he was struck on the head with a gun, causing him to lose consciousness.
A smirk played on Lucas’s lips as he thought back on the incident. He wasn’t entirely surprised to find himself in this situation; he had half expected it.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here? A voice erged from the darkness on the right side of the room, a voice that Lucas imdiately recognized as Mr. Philip.
As expected, Mr. Philip stepped out from the shadows, a sly smile playing on his lips as he faced Lucas.
’I have to maintain my composure. I can’t let him know I suspect anything about his plan to abduct . Lucas thought to himself, eting Mr. Philip’s gaze with a mix of shock and fear on his face.
"Mr. Philip? What’s happening? Have you co to rescue from these individuals?" Lucas inquired, his expression filled with fear. "I appreciate your arrival."
One of the burly n placed a chair before Lucas while Mr Philip sat on it.
"Do I appear to be here to rescue you, Lucas?" Mr. Philip retorted with a smirk. "But don’t worry, you will be released once you comply with my demands."
"So, you orchestrated my abduction." Lucas exclaid, his face showing disbelief. "Why? What have I done to you, Mr. Philip? Besides, is Clara text just a trap? How were you able to text with her phone?"
"Yes, I did, but I have no intention of causing you harm as long as you surrender Henry’s phone that you possess. And yes! I was with Clara so minutes ago, and I was able to text you with her phone when she was away. So tell , where is it?" Mr. Philip demanded with a nacing smile.
"Oh my goodness! You’re unbelievable" Lucas exclaid incredulously. "Is Henry really correct about having your secret, a secret that could destroy you? Did you betray the George family years ago?"
"Co on! Well, maybe he’s right. Do you want the full story then?" Mr. Philip questioned, kneeling down to Lucas. "I might as well tell you, you deserve to know after all."
Mr. Philip then proceeded to explain everything to Lucas. Lucas, on the other hand, displayed his acting skills by reacting to Mr. Philip’s words, even though he had already heard the truth from Henry.
"How could you, you monster? You killed my sister?" Lucas cried out, fake tears streaming down his face as he struggled against the chair he was tied to. "You made take innocent lives with my own hands."
"Yes, I killed your sister. What are you going to do about it? Nothing! Just tell where Henry’s phone is, and I might spare your life," Mr. Philip said, smiling. "And thank you for removing Henry from my path."
"And why the hell do you still need Henry’s phone? To erase the evidence and then eliminate afterwards, right?" Lucas questioned, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I can’t kill you, Lucas. You’re the heir to Belmont High School," Mr. Philip replied bluntly, his eyes fixed on Lucas. "You’re my friend son."
"Oh, so you would spare once you have the phone because you know no one would believe if I accused you of killing my sister, or perhaps you know I wouldn’t want to reveal the truth since I’ve already taken a life, so we both have secrets," Lucas pointed out.
"You’re intelligent, Lucas, but sotis naive. If you were more perceptive, you would have uncovered the truth about your sister’s killer long ago." Mr. Philip responded with a sinister laugh. "Just tell where Henry’s phone is. I’ll erase all the evidence on it and set you free."
"And what if I say no. Despite my past actions, I’m willing to face the consequences, and you should too, Mr. Philip." Lucas spoke with a firm resolve.
"Don’t push , Lucas. You can confess to Henry’s murder and accept your punishnt, but I won’t be as foolish as you." Mr. Philip shouted, brandishing a gun and demanding the phone’s location.
"Do whatever you like Mr Philip but I won’t tell you where Henry’s phone is. I’ll show the police the evidence of my sister’s murder, and I’ll confess to Henry’s death. We both deserve to be punished." Lucas declared, his laughter provoking Mr. Philip to anger as he aid the gun.
"I won’t ask again, Lucas. Where is the phone?" Mr. Philip’s voice was filled with rage as he stood up from the chair, his finger on the trigger.
"I won’t repeat myself again too, Mr. Philip. We’re both going to jail, whether you like it or not." Lucas’s eyes reflected his determination.
Mr Philip triggered the gun...
Boom*
________
anwhile, the search for Henry was still ongoing in the school.
"Alright students, we need to move to the surrounding areas. Stick to your groups as instructed and report anything you see to the police officers," A teacher said with a serious tone, to which the students all responded with a chorus of yes.
The street was quickly filled with students, police officers and teachers as well as police cars moving slowly behind them.
"Has Lucas called you?" Olive asked Mark, raising her eyebrows in curiosity.
Mark checked his phone and replied, "No, he hasn’t."
"Why do you have your phone on silent though? It’s not a good idea," Olive said, prompting Mark to quickly take his phone off silent mode.
"He’s been gone for a while now. Shouldn’t he have called by now? Maybe you should try calling him?" Aiden suggested, his voice filled with concern as Mark dialed Lucas’s number.
"Switched off?!" Olive exclaid, her eyes widening in shock. "Did sothing happen?"
Mark tried calling Lucas again, but it went straight to voicemail. "I don’t know, but I have a bad feeling about this," Mark said, sounding worried.
"We need to find him. Now," Olive suggested, her eyes narrowed.
"We can’t act rashly. Rember, the best way to find Lucas now is to see Mr Philip first. I haven’t seen him since the beginning of this search. What if he had hurt Lucas?...," Mark began to say and his eyes soon fall on Mr. Philip joining the search with the police officers.
"Speak of the devil, and he appears. He seems calm, though," Aiden added, watching Mr. Philip as he turned his gaze towards the three teenagers.
"He’s coming over here," Olive murmured quietly as Mr. Philip approached and stood before them.
"How are you all doing? Lucas isn’t with you guys today? You usually do things together as the 3RM, so it’s surprising he’s not here," Mr. Philip said with a smile. "Is her perhaps sick?"
"We don’t know Mr Philip. I’m sure he would join us soon." Aiden replied with a forced smile.
"We should check up on his at the George mansion. He might be there judging that his sister Clara is around." Mr Philip suggested with a smile and with that, he walked away from the teenagers, before they could reply.
Olive stood still, looking worried as she gazed into the distance.
"What’s wrong, Arthur? If you’re worried about Lucas, Mr. Philip is here now. We’ll find Lucas through him, so let’s just keep an eye on him," Mark said, placing a hand on Olive’s shoulder.
"What if Lucas is dead?" Olive asked, tears streaming down her face as she continued to stare ahead.
"Why are you thinking like that?" Aiden interjected, his voice tinged with anger."
"He said he was going to check on Lucas at the George mansion. What if he’s only going there to retrieve sothing Lucas told him? What if Lucas couldn’t handle the torture and told Mr. Philip the truth about where Henry’s phone is, and Mr. Philip killed him?" Olive questioned, tears still flowing.
"Stop thinking like that. You’re scaring ," Aiden exclaid, his expression now a mix of worry and fear.
"Are you guys blind? Did you not see the bloodstain on Mr. Philip’s shirt collar?" Olive said, her voice barely above a whisper as tears continued to fall. Mark and Aiden turned to look at Mr. Philip, who was talking to an officer, and indeed, there was a bloodstain on his shirt collar.
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